How do we know many Little Rock School District’s elementary schools are failing its middle schools, and many middle schools are failing its high schools? One need only compare percentages of students meeting the readiness benchmark on the ACT Aspire to state and district averages.
All LRSD high schools which were in Academic Distress when the state intervened scored in single digits in Math and Science, meaning over 90% of students did not meet the readiness benchmark.
The following are the percentages of students meeting the readiness benchmark on the ACT Aspire exam. Priority Schools are required to submit 45-day reports, which include percentage of students entering a school’s grades two or more grades behind in elementary and three or more grades behind in middle and high schools.
| School/District | Math | English | Writing | Reading | Science | Enter 3/More Grades Behind Math | Enter 3/More Grades Behind English Language Arts |
| Arkansas | |||||||
| Ninth Grade | 30% | 58% | 39% | 51% | 32% | ||
| Tenth Grade | 25% | 60% | 36% | 57% | 33% | ||
| LRSD | |||||||
| Ninth Grade | 22% | 43% | 39% | 37% | 20% | ||
| Tenth Grade | 18% | 49% | 30% | 46% | 23% | ||
| Fair** | |||||||
| Ninth Grade | 8% | 26% | 15% | 19% | 6% | 95% | 76% |
| Tenth Grade | 1% | 33% | 13% | 34% | 5% | 97% | 67% |
| Hall* ** | |||||||
| Ninth Grade | 5% | 19% | 10% | 13% | 4% | 92% | 86% |
| Tenth Grade | 3% | 23% | 12% | 14% | 4% | 90% | 71% |
| McClellan** | |||||||
| Ninth Grade | 8% | 22% | 14% | 21% | 8% | 78% | 75% |
| Tenth Grade | 5% | 23% | 14% | 28% | 9% | 75% | 79% |
* Academic Distress (Three-year average of less than 49.5% of students proficient)
** Priority School (Lowest 5% Academic Performing in Arkansas)
Even though Fair, Hall and McClellan’s scores were among the state’s lowest in Math and Science, scores increased exponentially over the previous year. And yet, at current rates, it could take as long as 5 – 27 years for grades to meet the state’s average proficiency in Science, and 6 – 13 years in Math. Because of flat or decreasing percentages, some grades will never meet the state’s average.
| Fair | Math Gain | Science Gain | At Current Rate, Years to Catch State Avg. Math | At Current Rate, Years to Catch State Avg. ELA |
| Ninth Grade | +3 (+62.5%) | +3 (+100%) | 8 Years | 9 Years |
| Tenth Grade | -3 (-75%) | +1 (25%) | Never | 27 Years |
| Hall | ||||
| Ninth Grade | +2 (+60%) | 0 | 13 Years | Never |
| Tenth Grade | +2 (+200%) | +3 (+300%) | 11 Years | 10 Years |
| McClellan | ||||
| Ninth Grade | +4 (+100%) | +3 (+62.5%) | 6 Years | 8 Years |
| Tenth Grade | 0 | +5 (+125%) | Never | 5 Years |
| School/District | Math | English | Writing | Reading | Science | Enter 3/More Grades Behind Math | Enter 3/More Grades Behind English Language Arts |
| Arkansas | |||||||
| Sixth Grade | 62% | 74% | 47% | 59% | 49% | ||
| Seventh Grade | 48% | 79% | 39% | 38% | 44% | ||
| Eighth Grade | 44% | 73% | 49% | 38% | 42% | ||
| LRSD | |||||||
| Sixth Grade | 47% | 61% | 34% | 52% | 31% | ||
| Seventh Grade | 34% | 65% | 29% | 33% | 31% | ||
| Eighth Grade | 29% | 61% | 41% | 27% | 30% | ||
| Cloverdale* ** | |||||||
| Sixth Grade | 22% | 44% | 20% | 47% | 15% | 67% | 61% |
| Seventh Grade | 19% | 48% | 15% | 23% | 19% | 65% | 63% |
| Eighth Grade | 8% | 41% | 20% | 14% | 13% | 63% | 65% |
| Henderson* ** | |||||||
| Sixth Grade | 27% | 47% | 19% | 40% | 15% | 77% | 43% |
| Seventh Grade | 17% | 59% | 15% | 16% | 18% | 79% | 35% |
| Eighth Grade | 10% | 53% | 35% | 16% | 11% | 78% | 29% |
| Mabelvale* ** | |||||||
| Sixth Grade | 44% | 49% | 20% | 39% | 12% | 69% | 33% |
| Seventh Grade | 22% | 53% | 14% | 22% | 13% | 72% | 52% |
| Eighth Grade | 19% | 51% | 33% | 20% | 16% | 77% | 52% |
* Academic Distress (Three-year average of less than 49.5% of students proficient)
** Priority School (Lowest 5% Academic Performing in Arkansas)
| School/District | Math | English | Reading | Writing | Science | Enter 2/More Grades Behind Math | Enter 2/More Grades Behind English Language Arts |
| Arkansas | 47% | 70% | 41% | 42% | 40% | ||
| LRSD | 37% | 59% | 29% | 32% | 35% | ||
| Bale*** | 23% | 41% | 12% | 6% | 10% | ||
| Baseline** | |||||||
| Second | 14.8% | ||||||
| Third | 31.2% | 13% | |||||
| Fourth | 31.2% | 23% | |||||
| Fifth | 44.1% | 26% | |||||
| Chicot*** | 29% | 46% | 18% | 20% | 16% | ||
| King*** | 39% | 53% | 24% | 14% | 22% | ||
| Pulaski Heights*** | 66% | 78% | 52% | 49% | 57% | ||
| Rockefeller*** | 31% | 53% | 21% | 15% | 22% | ||
| Romine*** | 27% | 45% | 16% | 17% | 20% | ||
| Stephens*** | 28% | 49% | 18% | 14% | 16% | ||
| Wakefield*** | 42% | 51% | 19% | 35% | 19% | ||
| Washington*** | 30% | 44% | 15% | 16% | 15% | ||
| Watson*** | 21% | 43% | 14% | 17% | 12% | ||
| Western Hills*** | 40% | 64% | 21% | 22% | 21% |
** Priority School (Lowest 5% Academic Performing in Arkansas)
*** Focus Schools (Lowest 6-10% Academic Performing in Arkansas)